10 Tips for daily success and getting what you want from two Jack Russell Terriers

I love all types of dogs, but have an extra soft spot for Jack Russell Terriers. Those smart, photogenic, stubborn little guys can turn a house upside down, and have enough charisma to get away with it. I live with two of them, and they are so intelligent and independent  that I can hardly refer to myself as their owner (I prefer "their human").

By the way, speaking of Jacks and their view on things, there's a .jpg rolling around Internet with the Jack Russell Terriers Property Laws (pic below), but we don't need to call Lawyer Dog (what happened with that meme? I loved it) in order to take some tips for success from JRTs.

Via es.pinterest.com

Via buzzfeed.com

So, after trying to come up with a post about something Disney or The Avengers (which are in fact Disney), and being constantly interrupted by two never stopping muzzles, I found a new inspiration and asked Tony (the guy) and Kimi (the girl) about how to get your way, Jack Russell style.

Tony: "Maintain eye contact beyond awkwardness, that always work"

Kimi: "Approach things with caution, but with courage"

Don't take NO for an answer: If you insist for long enough, things will go your way. "When you ask for something, be sure to remind people every two seconds of what you want", says Tony while Kimi nods in agreement. 

Be flexible in the way you ask for stuff: "Start off as friendly as possible, wear a silly costume if you know it improves your odds, and if that fails, explain how urgently you need whatever you're asking for. Make sure you transmit the sense of urgency, barking loudly and howling are great ways to do so", says Kimi, and then she adds: "If barking or making noise don't work, get close, stare, and make indoor-friendly noises that won't bother every one, but will slowly wear out one specific person in the room".

Be clear in what you want: "If you want food, grab the plate and drop it on a human's foot. Don't just run around barking because this will frustrate everyone, explain exactly what you want", Kimi says. "If you want to play, grab a toy and chase people; if you want to enter the room, scratch the door", Tony adds. For them, sometimes the reason we don't get what we want is because we are too indirect and vague.

Always push the limits: If you know you're not allowed somewhere, get yourself invited. Eventually, it will become usual to see you there and you'll earn full access. If you can't make loud noises, start very softly and increase volume slowly. Instead of jumping to the middle of the bed, ask for a little corner and then crawl your way to the right spot. "There's nothing wrong with being just a little bit sneaky", Tony comments.

Enjoy the little things and make a fuzz: "A nice bite of cheese, a good walk in the park, a bone or a new toy... they all seem like small things but let them make you happy. And show gratitude, make a big deal about them: smile, wag you tail, jump, make sure to always say thank you in a big way, that way, next time you ask for something people will be more likely to try to get it for you. If you care about stuff, others will too, it's contagious", explains Kimi.

Have a proper handshake: "If someone reaches for a handshake, never respond half-heartedly. Be quick, friendly and have a firm but not aggressive paw. Humans show friendship with handshakes, but they also judge you and each other by them, so learn to do a proper handshake and you won't regret the perks", Tony says.

Win all staring contests: "There is an unspoken and never-ending staring contest between every creature with eyes", Kimi explains. "The first one to look away losses it and becomes submissive, so don't be afraid to stare until your dominance is established. You don't have to be hostile, smiling or lowering your ears will make you less threatening, and that in fact, will help you stare for longer without creeping out people so fast". 

Never think you are to small for something: "It's all about attitude. If you see yourself as a small dog, everyone will, but if you behave beyond size, people and other dogs will respect you. Don't be afraid to ask out someone because they are out of your league, ask for that promotion with confidence that you deserve it and pee on every tree on the block, you have a right to feel great about yourself", says Tony.

Be a bit eccentric: Both Tony and Kimi agreed that you need to have your own style, maybe a couple of quirks that people will recognize about yourself. "For example, I bring my food to the living room and eat it on the couch. The mess is worth it because now everyone remembers me for it", illustrates Tony, and Kimi adds: "I always pose in front of windows, I have my 'sunshine face', my 'rainy day face' and my 'I'm watching you' face for when neighbours walk in front of me. Being so constant in that, my house is now the house with the 'little dog in the window', you see? people remember you for the little touches".

Be friendly but trust your instincts and react smartly: "When meeting someone new, no matter if it's a dog a human or whatever, look interested and happy, make them feel like you could become friends soon. Let them set the tone and play along, but pay attention and if something inside you tells you that someone is trouble, don't get too close and keep an eye on your pack, be ready to protect them if necessary but never jump unprovoked. If you have to, stand your ground, pee a little bit where they can see you or show some teeth, most of the times this is enough of a message and everyone can continue in peace. At the same time, if some one is sending these signs to you, consider leaving them alone, they might be having a bad day or be under stress".

Finally, I want to share an article about an important scientific discovery regarding Jack Russell Terriers that made me cry of laughter. Let's just say that it explains why they take so much space while being so compact-looking (see descriptive graph below).

Via dirtanddogs.blogspot.ie

A to Z list of stuff to do or see in Dublin (most of them free or under a tenner)

I love making lists, but I'm not sure the world needs another Top 10 stuff to see in Dublin (maybe it does), so I will do an A to Z list instead... These are places or activities that I like, and most of them are either free or under a tenner.

A is for Avoca, this beautiful shop/cafe/bookstore is like a black hole for me. If I go near it, it just absorbs me and makes me go in, to see all the beautiful stuff. It doesn't matter that 99% of the times I buy nothing, I consider visiting it fun in its own merit.

Via avoca.com

B is for Botanic Gardens, this one is for free and it's better during summer. You can learn about the plants, or simply relax under them.

C is for Candem Street, with lots of restaurants, pubs and shops together, from the fanciest to the very affordable ones (although most of them are somewhere in between).

Via snipview.com

D is for Dicey's, with pints at half price on Sundays, don't be surprised for super long queues to get in. The place is big and looks nice, and because of their promos, it's always full so arrive early.

Via twitter.com/diceysgarden

E is for Etsy Ireland: This is not a place, but a group of crafters that sell their stuff on Etsy.com. If you are into Irish craft and design, this is a great crew to contact, as they might be selling something you like, and there's always a good feeling about supporting local crafts.

Via etsyireland.blogspot.ie

F is for Fusion Sundays: A market with international food, music, art and lots of stuff to see and buy, stands with things from many different countries.

Via facebook.com/fusionsundaysmarket

G is for Grafton Street: The street with the fancy shops, whether actual shopping or just windows shopping, a walk in Grafton is always a good time (especially if the weather is nice). Expect live music in the street.

Via wikipedia.org

H is for Henry Street: The street with less-fancy-than-Grafton-but-still-great shops. They are not so far from each other so a good shopping day in city center can easily cover both.

Via flickr.com

I is for the Irish Museum of Modern Art: You don't have to understand it to enjoy it (although I'm sure it helps), the place is beautiful, free and always has something new. Besides the art itself, the garden is a great place to visit in its own merit, and it has a very nice and cozy cafe.

Via imma.ie

J is for Jack Russells: This is me cheating a little bit, but I had to say it. It is so common to see Jack Russell Terriers walking their humans around in Dublin, and as a Jack Russell Terrier lover, I can't help but smile every time I see one, which is very often.

These ones, especially, since they're in my pack

K is for Kildare Village, which is not really in Dublin, but it's only a one hour bus ride that costs a fiver and you will be in a large and lively outlet shopping centre full of famous brands. Many shops are still ridiculously expensive, but if you are patient and know how to search, you can find great outfits for decent prices.

Via kildarevillage.com

L is for Liffey Valley: One of the biggest shopping centres, it has everything a shopping centre should have (including a cinema).

Via manahanplanners.com

M is for Mongolian BBQ at lunch time, in Temple Bar: This place is great value for lunch, and very very tasty. For 5.90 euros you can fill a bowl with as much veggies as you can fit, and choose one protein (pork, chicken, fish, etc.), and they cook it there in front of you. You can also add lots of sauces and seasonings.

Via http://www.mongolianbbq.ie/

N is for National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts and History: Probably my favorite museum in Dublin. It's also free, as other National Museums, and the best part is the "rooms" where they have assembled different living areas (bedrooms, studios, living rooms) from different periods in history.

Via wikipedia.org

O is for Old Jameson Distillery: One of the best-sellers for tourists, and for a reason, you get to learn about Irish whiskey (and to try it of course), and the tour is fun.

Via jamesonwhiskey.com

P is for Phoenix Park: One of the biggest city parks in Europe, it's beautiful, pet-friendly, full of nature and if you are lucky, you might get to meet the deers that inhabit it.

Via dublin.ie

Q is for Queen of Tarts: One of my favourite cafes, there's two of them (oddly near to each other), but the best one is in Cow's Lane, D2. The pastries are great, the place is super cute.

Via http://www.queenoftarts.ie/

R is for Rugby: The sport that fills stadiums and pubs, it doesn't matter if you understand it or not, watching a big game with lots of people is a great experience and you'll feel the great and contagious energy of the fans! (eventually you can become one yourself!). Ah, and you can also dare to play it.

Via thegatheringireland.com

S is for St. Stephen's Green Park: The ultimate city centre picnic spot, with a little lake and ducks and swans and squirrels. On a sunny day you can see the smallest patch of grass covered by people that go there to enjoy the sun and relax.

Via http://www.irishcentral.com

T is for Trinity College: Recognized by its excellence, founded in 1592 and a key part of the student life in the country (even for people that don't study there), there's always an event, concert, party or exhibition worth attending.

Via trinitynews.ie

U is for Unlimited Card at Cineworld: It's not advertising if they don't pay me (maybe they should, wink wink). Paying a bit more than 20 euros a month for unlimited movies is the best. Besides, it's in the heart of City Centre so you can then walk to many places or take the last bus easily.

Via cineworld.ie

V is for Viking Splash Tour: known for giving me a mini heart attack every time they pass by the bus stop I'm in, this boat-car hybrid is full of people that look like they are having their BEST DAY EVER.

Via watersidehousehotel.ie

W is for Wicklow which, as Kildare, is not really Dublin, but you can get there with Dublin Bus. The number 145 leaves you in beautiful Bray, where you can walk by the beach and then go to one of many lovely restaurants, pubs and cafes.

Via bray.ie

X is for Xposé on TV3: Each day on TV3 at 6:00 pm. I'm not much of a TV watcher but this one surely got my eye as it's light, local and trendy. Some fun and girly TV with lots of local designers, brands and events.

Via tvrage.com

Z is for Zoo!: I'm so glad that the word "Zoo" starts with a "Z", this makes list-makers lives easier all across the globe. But anyway, Dublin Zoo deserves a mention not only for wining by forfeit the "Cool things to do that starts with a Z", but because it's a great place to visit (since 1831!), especially for families.

Via en.wikipedia.org

In a perfect world, this list would also rhyme, but at least I was lucky enough to find stuff that's nice and starts with the letter X, or Q. This only reinforces my idea that there are too many things to enjoy around Dublin... One year hasn't been enough to discover them all, but I will keep searching and sharing :D

My top 8 movies to watch on Mother's Day

Normally I would have waited until May to talk about Mothers' Day, but I'm in Ireland now, and this year we celebrate it on March 15th. One of the things I enjoy doing with my mom (and in general) is watching movies (though it's not possible through Skype, sadly), so I felt motivated to do a little Top 8 list with the movies I think would be great to watch with mummy.

Little Miss Sunshine: The mom here might seem like she doesn't care anymore, with her take away
dinners and disposable dishes, but when it's time to be there for the kids, she's A1. Besides, it has the perfect mix of laughs, drama and family chaos.

Toy Story 3: Many moms tend to cry with very emotional movies, it's their thing. And this is the ultimate mom-cries-at-the-end but in a good way: a kid growing up "so fast", a group of brave toys saving the day, and a hard earned happy ending. By the way, the people that pull off this joke (video below) edited the movie to make it look like it ended very different, and their mom didn't like it at all.

The king's Speech: This is a movie that manages to be engaging without sex or violence, and also, without being overly complicated, sad or stressful. In fact, you kind of feel good after watching it. Be prepared to hear "He's so cute" every time Collin Firth enters the scene, which is very often.

Freaky Friday: Remember all the times mom said that she wished to change chores for a day so you knew how much work she gets done in the house? This is basically an hour-and-a-half tale about that. And the best part is that is actually funny and well acted (not extremely original, though).

My Big Fat Greek Wedding: If you have a big extended family (extra points for Mediterranean origin), you'll probably find this movie hilarious, and mom will find many brothers, cousins, nephews, etc. in the characters (there's always a drunk one, a tacky one, a shady one, and so on). Be ready to hear her compare everything to how your own family would have dealt with that.

The Princess Diaries: Disney really get this family-friendly thing. She'll love Julie Andrews (and so will you) and all the "real life" fairy tale vibe. Besides, it's nice to see a mom-daughter-grandmother movie out there that it's funny and light, but never dumb.

Catch me if you can: Moms will take any chance to see Tom Hanks, and in this case, with all the 60's Pan Am glam and the Leo di Caprio chasing, and Christopher Walking speeches, she'll have a lot of fun, and so will anyone who accompanies her.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: This one or the sequel are also great choices, a lot of her favorite actors will be there, and the mix of exotic sight seeing, romance and comedy will be perfect for a happy film watching experience for all (yes, Richard Gere is there, bonus points because of that).

The Matrix + The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy = Jupiter Ascending

I'm not ashamed to say I enjoyed watching Jupiter Ascending, but I'm not proud either. Discussing why it was fun but it wasn't such a great movie, I had this conversation:

Me: I liked it but it wasn't great.
Be: Yes, but not all pictures are artsy-fancy like The Pianist.
Me: I'm not comparing it to The Pianist, I'm comparing it to The Matrix.
Be: Fair enough.

And I wouldn't go as far as with the case of Avatar, in which case the movie was blatantly unoriginal (just a remake of Pocahontas in Space, but that's another story). They didn't just went and made The Matrix in space, but the Wachowskis did recycle a lot, and with all the fancy dresses and shiny lights, many people didn't notice.

But there is also another movie from which they took a few elements, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in case you don't remember it was a sci-fi film from 2005 (kind of The Guardians of the Galaxy of this year, at least to me: unexpected, funny and different).


So, now I want to talk about the elements they took from each... Besides this point, there will be spoilers...


From The Matrix

The Chosen One: Both start working meaningless jobs in the big city, in The Matrix is Neo, in Jupiter Ascending it's Jup. Points on originality for her background story, which I'm sure would make a great Regina Spektor song (Russian immigrant with a thing for telescopes that becomes the queen of Earth).

The edgy love interest: Trinity is all cool in black letter, and Caine Wise is all cool in black leather. They are attractive ass kickers that break the news to "The Chosen One" and then fall in love with them.

The validator: Call her Oracle or honeybee-man Stinger. Once "The Chosen One" is brought to them, they proceed to give their seal of approval and validate them as the real thing. Both live in a modest house and look ordinary, but they are so much more...

The human harvesting: What's with the Wachowskis and this? Machine or Royalty, in both cases, this was the key for their system to work efficiently.

The peasant-hating villain: Both Agent Smith and Balem Abrasax have a disdain for common people (well, disdain is an understatement), they could easily be talking about some type of annoying but profitable crop, like gluten free oats. And they both get to make a speech about it before proceeding to the final fight.


From  Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
They didn't take as much as from The Matrix, but still both movies share a few details that really reminded me of that film.

The abrupt end of the world: Even though it doesn't actually happens in Jupiter Ascending, in both movies life on Earth is about to go off. And in both cases is for the benefit of a more advanced crew (in Hitchhikers it was to make way for an hyperspace bypass, whatever that might be).

The Space bureaucracy: Not even in a galaxy far far away you can have a document stamped without having to deal with this slow, bitter, jaded administrative staff. They will make you queue and queue and tell you you got the wrong form. But if you want something important done, you'll have to go through this. In both films.

Colorful Sci-Fi: Not all sci-fi has to be darkness and neon green and binary code raining from computers. In this vibe Jupiter is closer to Hitchhiker, from the boring looking offices to the fantasy landscapes and the shots at glossy planets floating in the wide space.

Again, as I said, I'm not saying there wasn't anything original, but I agree with the people that called the film a big, bold, beautiful mess; it was like trying to eat a pancake with an ice cream scoop on top with chocolate dipped bacon as topping, and a strawberry milkshake to accompany it.
Sounds horrible? Not completely.
Could you sit and eat it non stop for 127 minutes? With difficulty.
Would you enjoy it? Perhaps, but you won't feel proud about it.

Random Nominations and Awards you Won't See at the Oscars 2015

The Oscars are coming, and with them, the last chance for predictions on the winners and last minute nominee-movie-watching. I'm going to take the chance to do my own little movie awards, but don't expect the usual categories...

Best Unexpectedly Good Movie: Maybe an obscure comic, an 80's toy or the sequel of a cop comedy... You couldn't really ask for much, and yet, they were some of the funniest stuff of the year.

The nominees:

Guardians of the Galaxy: I was expecting a Marvel filler to keep the cash flowing while working on another Avengers, turned out to be great fun.

Lego Movie: Seemed like a kiddie film that the dads would love, but everything was awesome.

Paddington: Another kiddie film that had more laughs than most of this year's comedies.

22 Jump Street: So many funny moments, I never expect much from sequels, but this one was at least as good as the original. 

The winner: Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel, thank you so much for not taking yourself so seriously and actually have fun.

That actor/actress that was everywhere: For some reason, his/her face kept popping up every time you went to the cinema this year... How do they do it?

The nominees:

Rosamund Pike: 4 Movies (A Long Way Down / Hector and the Search of Happiness / What we did on our Holiday / Gone Girl).

Owen Wilson: 5 Movies (The Grand Budapest Hotel / She's Funny that Way / The Hero of Color City [voice] / Inherent Vice / Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb).

Anna Kendrick: 6 Movies (The Voices / Life after Beth / Happy Christmas / The Last Five Years / Cake / Into the Woods).

Liam Neeson: 7 Movies (The Nut Job [Voice] / Non Stop / The Lego Movie [Voice] / A Million Ways to Die in the West / Kahlil Gilbran's The Prophet [Voice] / A Walk among Tombstones / Taken 3). Plus 3 TV episodes and a short film.

The winner: Liam Neeson. It's like he makes a movie while waiting for the bread to come up from the toaster.

Best Baker: Yes, colleagues, colleagues everywhere. Well, not everywhere, but this was a good year for fictional bakers and pastry chefs in the big screen.

The nominees:

Peeta Mellark: The PR genius from The Hunger Games maybe out of the kitchen, but he'll always be the baker boy from District 12.

Agatha: The girl with a birthmark in the shape of Mexico, the ability to make amazing pastries and the courage to save the day.

The Bakers: The young but childless couple from Into the Woods, whose last name matched their trade (not so unusual in fairy tale times).

The winner: Agatha. Not just because her cakes are the best, but because she became one of my favorite characters ever.

Best Method of Teenage Oppression: The year of the YA novel adaptations left us with a few ideas of what won't work to keep the kids from starting a revolution.

The nominees:

Dividing them into "Factions": Divergent was all about making kids choose at very young age what they would do for the rest of their life, and then watching how everything becomes a mess... sounds familiar?

Propaganda: If making them fight to death on TV for The Hunger Games is no longer an option, maybe a good old fashioned brainwashing will do.

Sending them to a wasteland: The kids from The Maze Runner had it awful: lack of basic care, anarchy, bullying, memory lost... and then it gets worse.

Ultra Censorship: An ignorant kid is a happy kid, at least according to The Giver, where everyone's seem to be under some type of collective forced thinking of happy thoughts.

The winner: Propaganda. The Hunger Games hit first and hit hardest with the rebel theme and the evil elite trying to stay on top.

Most Bipolar Film: This has nothing to do with the characters... This movie had double personality itself, and for some that made them brilliantly balanced, for others, they were just non committed to any side.

The nominees:

Interstellar: A mix of very dense scientific content, with a father/daughter drama that for some, gave humanity to the story, for others, just got in the way.

Maleficent: This is the kind of fantasy movie you see on TV years after it was premiered. She's good, then she's bad, broken heart, broken wings (this sounds like my 14 year old self's awful poetry).

A Million Ways to Die in the West: It tried to mix comedy, romance and action... it wasn't funny, romantic or exciting. Just all over the place. 

Muppets Most Wanted: Muppets are best when they do their Muppet thing, but this time they were in some type of Russian conspiracy parody with evil look alikes and terrible accents.

The winner: Interestellar. It was too scientific to be a "power of family love" story, and to sappy to please hardcore sci-fi fans, but at least was a decent movie with impressive moments.

Best Movie Poster: I'm going to get help with this one from the Internet Movie Poster Awards, a website that's been choosing a winner for this category for years.

The nominees:

The Book of Life: Lots of life and color, a very unique style and a just a few hints on the plot of the movie.

Interstellar: Dreamy, simple and eye catching, also, a great tag line for the movie.

Big Eyes: The expression of the characters and the picture-ception tell a lot about the movie and express its feeling very well.

The Interview: Great parody of propaganda posters (and great propaganda poster itself, some might say), it's over the top, silly and just plain funny.

The Grand Budapest Hotel: This poster reminds me the "Guess Who" board game (the characters surely make for an especial edition of the game), makes you curious about that weird group of people.

The winner: The Book of Life. The Dia de los Muertos theme of the film looks beautiful in the poster, I think the best part from this movie was the colors.